CI kids team wins top spot in regional dressage

(CNS): The Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation is celebrating more success after the Cayman Kids Dressage Team learned that they had won the top spot in the Caribbean Equestrian Association’s 2014 Dressage Competition , last week. During the Cayman round in June, in the children’s category, Thea Millward and Zafira, competing in the training level category, had the highest score of the day with 74.2%. As well as taking the top spot in the children’s team, the pair won the children’s High Point Award for the day. Millward was joined in the team by Hannah Fowler and Seligkeit who scored 71.8% with Madeleine Aqart and Smart Racer in the same category finishing a whisper behind with 71.6%.

These scores were sufficient to give them first place in the children’s category, a spot that Cayman children’s team has occupied for the last three years.

“It is a great end to a long season for our Children’s Team to retain the top title in the CEA Dressage,” said CIEF President, Sharon Hinds said,. We are really proud of the progress all our riders are making and we believe we have an extremely solid foundation of current and upcoming talented riders who have really made their presence felt in the international arena this year.”

Over the last few weeks, FEI ‘I’ and USEF ‘S’ judge, Jeanne McDonald, has travelled to Barbados, Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago and Cayman to judge children and adult dressage athletes in the CEA’s annual dressage competition. Riders could choose what tests to ride before the judge, from a collection of dressage tests designed by the United States Equestrian Federation.

Each rider was given a score by the judge and the top three scores in each of the children and adult categories were submitted as team scores for the country.

The adult team comprised Jessica McTaggart and Loris 7 who scored 71.935% in the 1st Level Test 3, a score which secured for her the adult High Point Award for the competition. McTaggart’s team mates included Tracey Surrey and SonRise David who competed in the Training Level and scored 63.2%, and Charlotte Hinds  and Monroe Carr who completed the 4th Level Test 1 and gained 60.429%. The competition in the adult category was stiff and these results took Cayman 4th place.

Aside from the top three scores for the team, Isabelle Smith and Ed came in 4th, Ashley van den Bol and Carmella came in 5th and Basil Humphries and Storm rounded off the class in 6th place.

In the adult 1st Level Test 3, Surrey and SonRise David followed Mctaggart’s first place on Loris 7, with Polly Serpell and Calidad in 3rd. Amara Thompson sported a huge smile in 4th as she brought her mare Roux back to the competition arena after a long period of recovery from injury. This left Regina Nowak and Leonora to bring up the rear in 5th place.

Phoebe Serpell and Sunday’s Edition took 1st place in the children’s 1st Level Test 3 with Anja van Genderen and Kartouche in 2nd and Fowler and Seligkeit in third. McTaggart  and Loris 7 on top form took the spot again in the adult 2nd Level Test 3 with Lexi Bodden and Relation in 2nd and  Polly Serpell with Partenon in 3rd and Calidad in 4th.

A National Dressage Show followed the CEA Dressage Show with lots of competition in the lower beginners’ classes. Old hand MeeganSlattery and Max took the 1st place in the USDF B Test with Eva Muspratt and Oscar in 2nd, Kayla Mannisto and Snow White in 3rd, Lara Humphries and Storm in 4th and Charlie Milgate and Amarilla in 5th. In the USDF C Test,  Muspratt and Oscar took first place, with Saskia Drake and Me & My Shadow in 2nd, Basil Humphries and Storm were 3rd, Slattery and Max in 4th, Abbey Swartz and Pony Up in 5th and Leah Alberga and Twinkle in 6th.

Although the season is over Hannah Fowler and Ashley van den Bol will be representing Cayman in an international dressage competition in the US in July and Polly Serpell will be the first ever Cayman equestrian to compete in the Youth Olympics which takes place in Nanjing in August.